About Me

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Christmas

Tugfax will be taking a break over Christmas.

The delightfully named Point Vim and Point Vigour were built in 1962 as Foundation Vim and Foundation Vigour, part of a series of six identical tugs. They served various ports in eastern Canada, but principally Halifax, until the mid-1980s when larger and more agile tugs were needed to berth larger ships.
Although kept as spares, their 1,000 bhp and single screw (in retrofitted Kort nozzle) was inadequate for most ship berthing.They were sold for further, less demanding use.
Both tugs are still operating - Point Vigour as Molly M 1 for Nadro Marine, mostly on the Great Lakes. Point Vim was sold again in 2017 by Davis Shipping of Wesleyville, NL to Les barges de Matane Inc of Matane, QC.
The photo above, taken on a very cold day in Halifax, exactly thirty-four years ago. It was sub-zero (Fahrenheit) as the rising sea smoke and freezing spray will confirm. The two tugs and fleet mates Point Carroll and Point Valiant (both also in existence but apparently retired) were returning from berthing the container ship Sea-Land Voyager. It was the first of Sea-Land's new D-9s to call in Halifax (June 26, 1983). With a capacity of 1782 TEU on 24,337 grt, 23,308 dwt, it was a big ship in its day..